Bethel museum heralds opening with an out-of-this-world contest
A cultural attraction in Bethel is taking PR to an astronomical level.
After installing an exhibit, the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum, at 99 Main St., is scheduled to open Dec. 12. But the museum is heralding the launch now by offering a $25,000 reward to the first person who brings in part of a meteorite that fell Monday night in Missouri.
The “shooting star” created a sonic boom and was seen in seven states, according to a news release Tuesday from the museum. Preliminary reports indicate the meteorite fell about 50 kilometers northeast of Columbia, Mo.
The museum houses gems and minerals mined in Maine, as well as a collection of asteroid chunks and celestial objects including the five largest pieces of the Moon on Earth, the release said.
Only meteorite hunters with at least a 1-kilogram portion of Tuesday’s fireball are eligible for the reward. The piece will receive a “place of honor” in the museum.
Museum Director Barbra Barrett said, "It's an exciting opportunity to have a sample from a fireball seen one month before our official opening and we wish to enlist the public's assistance.”
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